Dangerous Liaisons: Going back more to the novel versus his adapted stage play screenwriter Christopher Hampton has brought all of the high stakes sex games with all of wit, oh-so-black humor, and not very likable characters still in tact. Director Frears is able to take these seemingly very modern ideas and marry them well with visuals to match. Glenn Close is a astounding as the heartbroken and vindictive Marquise who is trying to hold her place in a man's world any way she can. Close finds such relish in each two-faced tactic and maneuver that her eventual downfall is even more satisfying for the viewer. Michelle Pfeiffer, playing so against type, as the spinster with strong moral fiber is such a joy to watch. Handsome, sumptuous visuals and cinematography to die as well. A-
Inside Job (2010): A scathing documentary about the 2008 fall of the financial systems, how we got there, and what's going on now. Charles Ferguson has created a film not only to enrage, but also to question how much longer we can sustain these kinds of activities without a bigger, costlier shoe to fall again. Like a good reporter, he wields his questions like little daggers out to find the truth. A-
Fast & Furious: The 4th installment of the muscle cars and drug cartels series reverts back to the main storyline explored in the first film after forays to Miami then Tokyo in parts 2 & 3. The car chases are still exciting, despite the obvious cultural stereotypes throughout. Vin Diesel does his Vin Dieselliest machismo and poor Paul Walker isn't looking as spry as he once was....Overall Mindless fun. B-
After the jump...Werner Herzog's look at obsession amongst the bears, Tom Cruise and Steven Spielberg battle aliens for Earth, and a little elephant breaks our hearts and takes flight.
Country Strong (2010): Pretty much a glorified TV movie for CMT, but there's some earnest intention...I guess. Gwyneth Paltrow does the best she can with a role that doesn't have enough meat. Some of her best moments are when she gets to really be a mess, drunk, and wounded, but there aren't enough. I love Gwyneth get to be indecisive and unsure in film; it's her secret weapon. She sings pretty well too. The film doesn't get gritty enough for my taste. If you're gonna do alcoholism, do it hard. Tim McGraw's actually getting to be a decent actor with the right part. Now he just needs to stop being the supportive husband roles. Garrett Hedlund and Leighton Meester both needed to be given less stereotypical characters to play and pushed more. Watchable, inoffensive, but not really that interesting. C+
Grizzly Man (2005): Werner Herzog is just so damn great...at everything! His incisive and penetrating documentary about a man who lived among the wild Alaskan grizzly bears for over a decade only to be brutally killed by them is such an interesting study of obsession and monomania at the expense of life and and a life in the human world. Herzog assembles Timothy Treadwell's many hours of footage with thought and care to give us a deeper look into a man with passion that left him blind to the potential pitfalls along the way. A-
War of the Worlds (2005): Gone are the cuddling and cute aliens of Spielberg films past. This time the aliens are trying to kill us all and Tom Cruise and his family are on a run from their lives to avoid it. Acting is not obviously important here, but the craft is, and this film is a stunner. Shot beautifully with a near perfect sound mix and sound effects to buoy the right balance of terror and thriller. There are certainly some unfortunate steps into the gothic (that survivalist's basement?), but other it stay's pretty thrilling and scary. B
Hero (2004): After six different release dates and two years of studio problems, this sumptuous Zhang Yimou epic finally making it to American screens. The main narrative about a determined assassin is fine, but the true magic comes from both the various retelling of the subplots and the ridiculously beautiful technical skill in play. Jet Li is good as Nameless the man looking to avenge his family's slaughter, but the best performances, unsurprisingly come from three of Hong Kong's greatest actors: Maggie Cheung, Tony Leung, and Ziyi Zhang. Leung and Cheung's chemistry is palpable and the film is elevated for that reason. Christopher Doyle's cinematography is so rich, so textured, I don't even know that I could handle it in HD. His way of arresting colors is a sign of a true genius. B
Sin City (2005): Exercises in style can be a worthy trip, but they can't be the only thing a film has going for it. That's the problem with Sin City. It's all style and no content. The characters exist in a world that love, sex, death, and violence are supposed to be part of their world, but it never seems to affect them. And in many of the best graphic novels (Watchmen, A History of Violence) those moral implications have to manifest themselves somehow, but in this it's too minimal. That being said, the palette is quite strong with a purposeful transformation to film from comic rather than adaptation. On the acting front, Mickey Rourke is astounding! Even before The Wrestler we saw signs that undeniable talent can't be broken. I actually thought Jessica Alba was pretty good as the femme fatale of sorts. I like chocolate mousse too, but I need a hearty meal first to tide me over to enjoy the extras. B-
Elf (2003): Charming but schlocky, funny but not insensitive, Elf is a film that's destined to become a holiday classic. Spoofing many of the holiday films we all grew up on could have backfired with mean or rude humor, but Will Ferrell and director Jon Faverau have created a sweet and kind little movie that wins you over easily. The first half with Buddy the Elf's arrival in NYC and all of the North Pole material is stronger (Bob Newhart!), but it doesn't wane. B
Last Chance Harvey (2008): This sweet and sad little film about two people who think they have life beat is a mighty cliche of a film, but it's bolstered and elevated by two performances that are better than the film could ever hope to be. Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson just know what they're doing. They're absolute pros, and they can make even the silliest dialogue sound authentic and spontaneous. Dustin's doing his best Dustin: improvised, everyman, and witty, and Emma gets to find new and exciting ways for her vulnerability and her inner joy to shine through. B
Capote (2005): This stark and often poignant film is not merely a biopic, but a portrait of a man in such a specific moment in his life that it inot only talks about the man, but rather it shows us a new kind of literature he as able to create. Phillip Seymour Hoffman's Truman is a creation of unparalleled surprise. Sure he got the voice and mannerisms down (as only Phil Hoffman can), but he's able to keep the balance of fame-hungry, astute writer, social butterfly, and mass of contradictions all afloat without it feeling too much or too over the top. Clifton Collins Jr. as Perry Smith breaks your heart and scares you to death at the same time, and mostly through glances and a subtle touch of her hand Catherine Keener's Harper Lee grounds the film with estimable grace. Bennett Miller's work is so quietly strong, and he makes it looks so easy. A-
Dumbo (1941): It's a perfect little jewelry box of a film; it's so quiet and unassuming from the outside, but it holds perfection within. The sheer economy of storytelling and characterization of this film is striking. In 63 minutes, we fall deeply in love with this beyond adorable baby elephant with his enormous ears. It's also one of the most emotional Disney films ever made. The "Baby Mine" sequence is beyond reproach with a heartbreaking lullaby to her lonely little boy to match. A+
Freaky Friday (2003): Remember when Lindsay Lohan wasn't the train wreck of the century, and Jamie Lee Curtis's only work wasn't advertising Activia? Well back in this light and good-natured family comedy the stars aligned just long enough for a good movie to be made. The plot is no different than the classic Disney classic starring Barbara Harris and a young Jodie Foster, but this time director Mark Waters gets great work out of his two leads. Jamie Lee Curtis is such a gifted comedienne that she can pull of the petulance of the being a 16 year old in her mother's body. Her performance just never ceases to find those great moments and layers of what it's really like to be a teen. B
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